Increasing Climate Change Intensifies Half-Centurylong struggles with Potable Water for Maine Native Reservation Community

In the small community of Sipayik, Maine, residents have been grappling with a water crisis for decades. The reservoir that supplies the water for Sipayik is shallow and susceptible to environmental changes, leading to high levels of contamination in the tap water.

For years, the Passamaquoddy Tribe's tap water has been unsafe for drinking due to contaminants like trihalomethanes (THMs). High exposure to THMs has been connected to an increased risk of certain cancers, such as bladder cancer, and damage to the kidneys, liver, and nervous system. As a result, most residents of Sipayik do not trust their tap water to be safe for drinking.

The water situation in Sipayik requires residents to plan their lives around finding clean drinking water. This has been a significant burden for the Passamaquoddy Tribe, who have been lobbying the state legislature for relief due to the poor quality of their tap water.

In a significant step forward, the Act to Provide Passamaquoddy Tribal Members Access to Clean Drinking Water was passed during the 2022 legislative session. This act allows the Passamaquoddy people to drill new wells on fee lands held by tribal members and to regulate their own water under guidelines established by the EPA and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

One of the new wells, Samaqannihkuk, was opened in October 2022, located across from Sipayik Elementary School, on tribal fee land next door to the reservation. The use of the Samaqannihkuk well has increased substantially since its opening, providing a much-needed source of cleaner drinking water for the community.

However, the water system in Sipayik still faces challenges. Heavy rains and droughts can have a negative impact on the water quality, and there have still been occasional surges in THM levels in the tap water, despite the charcoal filters. The filters don't address discoloration at all, which continues to be a concern for residents.

The Passamaquoddy Water District, a private corporation serving around 2,100 people, added granulated activated carbon filters to the water district's treatment plant in August 2022 in an effort to improve water quality. The Sipayik Environmental Department has also implemented measures such as regular water quality monitoring, public education on pollution prevention, and collaboration with local stakeholders to reduce contaminants in Boyden Lake, aiming to improve the clean drinking water supply for the Passamaquoddy community.

Despite these efforts, the state of Maine exercises a high level of control over tribal lands and how they're used, including drilling wells, fishing, hunting, and logging rights. In the past, this control has been a barrier to the Passamaquoddy Tribe's efforts to secure safe drinking water. However, with the passage of the Act to Provide Passamaquoddy Tribal Members Access to Clean Drinking Water, the tribe has taken a significant step towards self-determination and a safer, healthier future for their community.

Maine Governor Janet Mills signed the bill into law in April 2022, but only after ensuring that the law applied just to specific parcels for drilling wells, not to other tribal lands in the state. This was a crucial concession, as the state of Maine also has the authority to block the implementation of federal laws related to Native American rights and welfare that have been enacted since 1980.

The act also lifted the Passamaquoddy Water District's obligation to pay local property taxes to the town of Perry and the city of Eastport, which had cost the company around $66,000 the year before. This financial relief will allow the Passamaquoddy Water District to continue its efforts to improve the quality of the water in Sipayik.

As the Passamaquoddy Tribe continues to work towards securing safe drinking water for their community, they remain hopeful for a brighter future. With the passage of the Act to Provide Passamaquoddy Tribal Members Access to Clean Drinking Water, they have taken a significant step towards self-determination and a safer, healthier future for their community.

Increasing Climate Change Intensifies Half-Centurylong struggles with Potable Water for Maine Native Reservation Community